Bollywood bound

The world’s largest film industry centre of Bollywood has not only attracted hopeful actors from all over India, but also ethnic Indians born in other countries. This documentary follows four young Indo-Canadians as they travel to Bombay in the hope of landing roles in a Bollywood production. Raised on a diet of Hindi movies in Canada which have played a significant role in the formation of their ethnic identities, they are dismayed to find on their arrival in Bombay that despite their cultural heritage and their deep familiarity with Indian popular culture, they are deemed ‘not Indian enough’. The film blends Bollywood clips with the budding actors’ experiences in Bombay as they attempt to gain entry into the industry and discover the reality behind the fantasy of their beloved movies. In the process it offers an insight into contemporary formations of ethnic identity and the complexity of East-West cultural hybrids in the context of an increasingly globalised popular entertainment industry.